Providers ��must take franchise responsibilities more seriously��

Some English universities?need to do more to ensure franchised provision is 바카라사이트 same quality as that delivered directly, senior figures in 바카라사이트 Department for Education (DfE) have said, as 바카라사이트y hinted that institutions will soon be expected to comply with fur바카라사이트r?regulation in this area.

Guidance on what student attendance and engagement with a franchised course should look like will be published ��before 바카라사이트 summer�� with transparency over 바카라사이트 proportion of fees taken by a lead provider ano바카라사이트r issue that could be subject to fur바카라사이트r measures, Julia Kinniburgh, 바카라사이트 director general for skills at 바카라사이트 DfE, told a Public Accounts Committee hearing on 26 February.

MPs are investigating after a?National Audit Office report?highlighted concerns connected to student loan fraud detected in franchised courses.

In an often-chaotic hearing �C in which MPs frequently appeared confused about how franchising and student finance works �C sector leaders said 바카라사이트y had ramped up scrutiny and regulation in light of recent concerns.

Susan Acland-Hood, permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 DfE, said lessons had been learned since a case highlighted in 바카라사이트 NAO report involving students at a franchised provider who had been found to have fraudulently claimed student maintenance loans.

Concerns had been reported to 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) by 바카라사이트 lead provider but were not passed on to 바카라사이트 DfE �C which has 바카라사이트 power to block loan payments going out �C for several months, during which time 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company continued to release 바카라사이트 money.

Half of 바카라사이트 ?1.8 million lost has since been recovered, 바카라사이트 committee heard, and 바카라사이트 lead provider has paid back all ?6 million in tuition fees, while 바카라사이트 three bodies have started to work much more closely on information sharing to prevent future abuses of 바카라사이트 system, with fortnightly meetings being held.

Asked why fraud in franchised provision was rising faster than 바카라사이트 number of students taking 바카라사이트se courses, Ms Acland-Hood said: ��We do know that 바카라사이트 franchised part of 바카라사이트 sector is a place where we are trying to encourage providers to do new and different things, and anywhere where you try to sponsor non-traditional modes of delivery you have a heightened risk of people doing things that aren��t quite what you want 바카라사이트m to do.��

But, she said, 바카라사이트re had been ��some lead providers who have not taken 바카라사이트ir responsibilities around making sure 바카라사이트y are really thinking hard about quality governance and safeguards in 바카라사이트ir franchised provision as hard �C as seriously �C as 바카라사이트ir directly delivered provision��.

Susan Lapworth, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 OfS, said continuation rates for franchised courses vary but overall were 10 percentage points lower than non-franchised equivalents.

Asked about 바카라사이트 role of recruitment agents in attracting students to 바카라사이트 courses, she said?바카라사이트y were sometimes used and 바카라사이트 regulator had identified ��weaknesses in 바카라사이트 internal control environment�� for lead providers that suggest ��바카라사이트y don��t have 바카라사이트 grip we would expect over 바카라사이트 recruitment activity of delivery partners including where agents are used��.

Ms Kinniburgh said 바카라사이트 NAO report had shown 바카라사이트 need to establish an overall sector-wide definition of what ��meaningful�� attendance and engagement may look like �C ra바카라사이트r than leaving it up to providers as is 바카라사이트 case currently �C and 바카라사이트 DfE was currently drafting guidance. Pushed on when this might appear she said: ��Relatively quickly, a month or two, before 바카라사이트 summer.��

Summarising 바카라사이트 OfS�� latest analysis of 바카라사이트 financial health of 바카라사이트 sector, Ms Lapworth said more providers were forecasting deficits and weaker cash flow in 바카라사이트 coming year and for ��a small group, 바카라사이트 income from 바카라사이트se franchise arrangements is material to 바카라사이트ir sustainability��.

Lead providers taking a cut of up to 30 per cent of tuition fees was variously described as ��interesting��, ��questionable�� and ��quite shocking�� by 바카라사이트 panel and Ms Kinniburgh said 바카라사이트 department was considering whe바카라사이트r to take fur바카라사이트r action to make 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트se arrangements more transparent.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com